Coronavirus: Quarantine rules set to change, says medical education minister Dr K Sudhakar

The government is considering a proposal to relax quarantine rules by making people undergo home quarantine, Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar said on Wednesday.

“Institutional quarantine in hotels or government-owned buildings will soon be replaced by home quarantine. The guidelines for home quarantine are being drafted,” Dr Sudhakar told reporters in DC’s office hall.

He said the government will also take a final decision on making institutional quarantine mandatory for people arriving from Maharashtra which has a heavy viral load.

“Those returning from foreign countries will have to undergo home quarantine if their throat swabs test negative or seven-day institutional quarantine if their samples test positive for Covid-19. The government is aware that home quarantine was found to be effective in other countries. The government will also consider suggestions on supplying essentials to those in home quarantine,” he said.

Covid-19 laboratories have been made mandatory for all medical colleges. Sudhakar warned medical colleges of stalling their admissions if they fail to initiate Covid tests.

Initially, there were only two laboratories to test throat swabs in the state. Today, there are 64 laboratories across the state. He said the government is geared up to face all challenges.

“As protecting the health of children aged below 10 years is very important, lifting of the ban on opening of schools will be in the final stages,” he said.

Earlier, the minister, while addressing heads of medical colleges, officials and elected representatives in DC hall said the government faces the twin challenge of saving the lives of people and preventing disruptions in normal life.

Due to initial precautionary steps, Covid-19 is under control in Karnataka. So far, 3,31,688 samples have been tested and 3,500 samples among them had tested positive for Covid-19. Only 1.8 to 2% of infected people had died due to Covid-19, he added.

Sudhakar said that over 98% Covid positive cases reported in the state were Maharashtra imports.

According to the directions of the Supreme Court, migrants are being allowed to return to their homes. The number of migrants from abroad and other states will increase, and thus, the government is issuing fresh quarantine guidelines for villages and cities. A task force committee is also being set up in rural and urban areas, said the minister.

Dakshina Kannada District In-charge Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary and other MLAs urged the medical education minister to conduct Covid tests on all those entering the state from Maharashtra.